Almost Lover
by laurengryffind0r
Summary: Hermione has lived a rather pathetic life since Rons murder, and now that she's run across Draco Malfoy and his family, plus another character,it's about to get turned upside down.


The sky looked done up with watercolor paints, baring a few spots for the cotton-like clouds. Wizards and witches paced the streets of Diagon Alley as they rushed to get last minute things for the start of the school year. Everyone came in groups. Groups of two, three, four, five. The number climbed to ridiculous heights. However, there were always some people who came just to watch the frenzy. One of those people was Hermione Granger. She sat on a sturdy bench just outside of what used to be Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Ever since Freds passing, George shut it down, and rather kept to himself most of the time. Anyways, Hermione liked it there. It reminded her of Ron. Ever since one of the final Death Eaters killed him, nothing had been okay.

A little boy tore down the street, tears streaming down his pale face. Hermione got up and pursued him, the doting personality burning clear in her. When she finally got to his side, she put her hands on his shoulders. "Honey, whats wrong?" He tried to break free, but she knelt down on the pavement next to him. "Where are your parents?"

"I d-d-dont know! They're g-gone!"

At the last word, the boy burst into tears again. Hermione hugged him close, and pat his bleach blonde hair. He looked scarily like someone she once knew. The two sat on another bench for quite awhile, until a man burst through a crowd and ran to the boy. "Scorpius! Where've you gone?" He ran his hands through his identically bleach blonde hair. "You'd your mother and I worried sick." Hermione looked into the fathers eyes. She knew those eyes. She was taunted, tortured by those eyes. You tend to remember the smallest things of those who hurt you most.

"Hermione Granger?" Draco Malfoy said, a hint of shock heavy in his voice.

"Yes, hello. You truly should be more careful with your child, Draco. He was so upset."

"I-I'm sorry, Scorp. Hermione, this is my wife, Asteria."

He gestured to the stone faced woman behind him. Why would Draco pick her? She looked so upset. Was she always like this? How is she socially pleasing whatsoever?

"- and we were just getting to dinner at the Leaky Cauldron, if you'd like to come, that'd be nice."

"Oh, i think i'll be joining you tonight."

"Good, you wouldnt mind walking with us there, now, would you?"

"No, no, of course not."

And off they went. Draco, Asteria, Scorpius, and Hermione. When they finally reached the somewhat decaying shack that is the Leaky Cauldron, a particularly good-looking man approached them.

"Oh, a quite peculiar group of four. What a nice wife you have, my good man." He said, waving his hand towards Hermione.

"No, no. That's my old friend Hermione. My son, Scorpius, and my wife, Asteria." Draco quickly corrected him, his face flushing a vibrant red.

"My apologies, my apologies. Would you be as kind as to follow me to your seat?"

With a nod, Draco set off after the man, leaving Hermione and the others to follow him. Asteria rushed to his side, and Scorpius stayed with Hermione. "Did you go to Hogwarts?" he asked, reminding her of a younger Draco.

"Yeah, I really think you'll like it there. Treat your professors with the utmost respect, and no matter if they bother you, they only want the best for you. Your headmistress is a wonderful woman, she is your friend."

Hermione was about to tell him about Hagrid, but Draco and Asteria were already seated. Draco called them over, and Scorpius ran off. Reluctantly, Hermione sat down next to Asteria. The man from earlier rushed over, a piece of parchment in his hand. "Hello, my name is Samael, and i'll be serving you today. Is there anything you'd all like?" As he took everyones orders, he kept glancing back and forth and Hermione and Draco.

When their orders came, (Hermione ordered a simple butterbeer) Samael handed her a large, elaborate plate of salad. "Samael, im sorry, i ordered a butterbeer, not this." She gestured to the salad. Samael frowned, and moved the plate to Asteria.

"I'm sorry, my mistake. Your butterbeer will be here in a minute or so, Miss Hermione."

When Samael disappeared, Draco laced his and Asterias fingers together across the table. Scorpius' voice echoed from beside Draco.

"Mum, why can't I get any food?"

"You'll be full for tomorrows feast, which I dont think you'd be particularly happy missing out on."

"But I'm so hungy!"

"That's enough for now."

With that, silence sat on the table like a cinderblock until Samael arrived, Hermiones butterbeer inhand. Setting it down on the table, he smiled at her.

"Here you go, love." he said in his velvety soft voice.

He knelt down next to Hermiones chair, and smiled at her. "So, would you fancy a cup of joe later this evening?"

Hermione felt her cheeks burn and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dracos eyes widen, and from behind her, she heard a gasp from Asteria, and she wrenched her hand free from Dracos stong grip. However, she let the smile that had been just under skin spread onto her face as she accepted the invitation.

"That sounds lovely, Samael. When should I be here so we can go?"

"Well, whenever you'd like. I've got my father waiting to take over this old place, so I'll be ready when you are."

"Oh, you don't mind me rushing home to clean up a bit then, do you?"

"No, no. All on your time, darling."

He then got up, and swaggered into the back room of the shop. Hermione was still blushing and smiling, and she ran her hand through her fragile curls until they fell back, framing her face. She looked up at Draco, his face a shade of purple that couldnt be safe.

"D-Draco, you look like you need some water..." she stumbled over her words.

"No. I'm okay." He muttered, resting his forehead on one hand.

The rest of the meal was quiet, so quiet, infact, that Samael came over and asked them if all was okay. When Everyone got up to leave, Draco pulled Hermione to the side. He handed her a folded up piece of parchment, and told her not to open it up until she was home at night. When he placed in her hand, and closed her hand, chills ran up her arm. She quickly pulled away and said her farewells.

Keen to get home to gussy up, she simply apparated there. She looked up at her sizable home, and the all too familiar sad feeling crept up inside her. Ron wasn't inside, waiting to welcome her home. He wasn't going to be there to hold her at night. But it had been 19 years. She didnt wait this long just to continue on her lonely sadness.

When she went inside, her loyal dog, Won-Won, ran up to her joyfully.

"Not now, Wonny. Mummy has to get cleaned up real quick."  
>She rushed upstairs, and looked into her mirror. All that needed to be done was the recurling of her hair, and her makeup. Otherwise, she looked fairly well.<p>

Once she was back at the Leaky Cauldron, Samael stood in the doorway, waiting for her, a single white rose inhand.

"Glad to see you made it back safely." He said, putting his hand out.

"I'm delighted to say the same." She replied, placing her hand respectively in his.

And out the two walked, hand in hand, down Diagon Alley. Occasionally, he would run his thumb over the back of her hand. When they left Diagon Alley, and they were in London, he stopped and turned to her.

"I've been waiting to get the courage to ask you this, and I havent been able to do it. I just need to get this over with."

"Oh? Ask away!"

"Are you aware that the Draco man is in love with you?"

"What? No, no, no no no. He and I are simply friends. Friends, Samael. That's all we've ever been."

"Love isn't always in actions or words. Love can hide in the smallest nooks and crannies of a human being. For instance, the eyes. He looked at you like a piece of diamond."

At first, Hermione was taken off guard at his words. But before long, she pulled herself out of the blissfull dream, and went back to reality.

"Now, I can believe that. But even if that is so, I don't feel the same. No need to worry."

She stoop up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

Finally, they were at the coffee shop. Once inside, Hermione needed a second to take in the hot-mess of a scene.

A stool was in a small stage in the corner, a messy looking man seated atop it, guitar in hand. Indie music was blasting through the room, and groggy looking people lined the walls, all drinking coffees of different sorts. Samael looked regretfully at her and led her to a counter where a buzzed looking employee stood.

"Yes, yes, hello, I'm Patty Ann, whaddya want today?"

"Um, hello, Patty Ann, could I possibly get a vanilla bean cappucino, no foam?"

"Sure hun. And for Mr. Sexy here?"

"Oh, thank you. I'll have a decaf coffee please."

"Alright I'll be right with y'all. I got some buisness of my own to take care of."

When Patty Ann disappeared, Samael frowned at Hermione.

"I'm very sorry, I've only ever been here once, and quite frankly, it was never quite this crowded nor disrespectful. You wouldnt mind sitting outside would you? I'd rather you were in a calmer, cleaner area."

"Oh it's fine. I sorta like it here. Its pretty cozy. But yeah, I'll wait outside. Don't keep me waiting too long, Samael."

He smirked, and lightly pushed the small of her back towards the door as she walked.

Once outside, Hermione took a deep breath. She waslked over to a small iron table, surrounded by four identical chairs. She took a seat in one, and allowed her fingers to explore her pockets. When they ran across the shred of paper that Draco had given her, chills took over her body. She had to open it.

When she pulled it out and unfolded it, she didnt notice anything at first. But slowly, yet surely, words began to fade on.

Hermione,

Hey mudblood. Long time no see, hm? Yes, I have a family now. Asteria and I wed 5 short years after the War, she gave birth to Scorp around 11 years ago. July 14th. I've missed you quite a lot, whether you choose to believe that or not, is your choice. If you decide to contact me is also your choice. Just use the address on the back of this parchment. This letter is charmed so only you can see it. To anyone else, it is a grocery list. Just a heads-up.

Draco

Hermione stared at the page, her heart melting. She heard a click behind her, and Samael placed his hand on her shoulder. When she jumped, he pulled away, and placed her coffee on the table. When he sat down in the seat across from her, she looked into his eyes. They were a perfect shade of burgundy. A feeling that she hadnt felt since a good 20 years ago scratched at the pit of her stomach.

"So I'm guessing you went to Hogwarts with Draco?"

"Yeah, and I'm supposing that you know Draco personally?"

"He's come in enough."

Samael lifted his hand and brushed a piece of hair away from her face, before letting his soft fingers trace the left side of her jawline. She rested her hand atop his, and he grinned.

It was quiet for a bit, rather nice, really. Until Samael stood up.

"We should get going. I can apparate with you back to your place, so your safe, if you'd like."

Buzzed on coffee, she obliged. Onward they walked, his arm around her waist. When they got into a quite alleyway, away from any muggles, they apparated to Hermione's house. Together, they walked up the steps, Samaels arm still around her.

"Samael, you don't mind possibly staying the night here with me tonight, do you? I get quite lonely, really."

"Oh, I don't mind at all."

Once the pair was inside, Hermione walked him into the living room. The two sat down, Hermione on Samaels lap.

"I like this. Lets do this again sometime." she whispered.

"So, are we-"

"Yes. We are."

"Oh. Okay." Samael finished off with a grin.

Hermione laughed a bit, and stared into his eyes, which, in turn, searched hers. Before she could even catch herself, she had already leaned into him. His soft lips pressed against hers with passion, but force behind it. She bit his lower lip lightly, and he put his hand on her back. She moved her hands up his back and onto the back of his head. She ran her fingers through his hair as they kissed.

Soon enough, she was laying down on the sofa, and he was over her, continuously kissing her. Suddenly, she broke off, gasping for air.

"We need to take this slow. We're getting ahead of ourselves. It's not good for us"

He brushed her voluminous curls out of her face. "Good idea."

"We should get some sleep, lets get up to my room."

And so she led him upstairs, and to her bedroom. She undid all of the covers, and settled in. Once samael was in, Hermione turned off all of the lights. Within minutes, she fell asleep to Samael humming a comforting song.

Hours later the two were intertwined in their sleep. Their sighs harmonized.

* * *

><p>an: I'm sorry if the quality is really low on this, i've never really written any fanfictions. and im fairly young, so i'm, of course, no j.k. rowling. and none of these characters are mine. (rather than samael)


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